For the first time, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on gun violence in America. The advisory describes the magnitude of violence, its health impact, and the public health approaches that can help us overcome this problem. Surgeon General Murthy’s report outlined data that illustrate the extent of this public health emergency:
- 48,204 people died from gun violence in 2022
- Gun violence is the leading cause of death for U.S. children and adolescents (ages 1–19)
- 54% of U.S. adults or their family members have experienced a firearm-related incident
- 21% have personally been threatened with a firearm
- 17% have witnessed someone being shot
- 19% have a family member who was killed by a firearm
You can read the landmark advisory report on the Surgeon General’s website.
Surgeon General Murthy states, “The increasing number of children and adolescents dying from firearm‑related injuries and the reverberating mental health impacts on society make firearm violence an urgent public health crisis in America.”
“A public health approach can guide our strategy and actions, as it has done in the past with successful efforts to address tobacco‑related disease and motor vehicle crashes. It is up to us to take on this generational challenge with the urgency and clarity the moment demands. The safety and well‑being of our children and future generations are at stake.”
At Cure Violence Global, we could not agree more with Surgeon General Murthy’s advisory. We have worked for nearly 25 years to address violence as a public health problem and to spread the approach worldwide.
Please watch Surgeon General Murthy’s statement: